


of knights and royalty

by satsuha



Category: MapleStory
Genre: Canonical Character Death, F/M, Past Relationship(s), Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-18
Updated: 2018-06-18
Packaged: 2019-05-24 16:09:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,730
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14957840
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/satsuha/pseuds/satsuha
Summary: Luminous only ever had eyes for one person - who always looked at someone else.





	of knights and royalty

A princess and her knight. In this case, it was a queen and her dragon master.

 

A fairy tale pair. Everyone knew, and naturally, so did Luminous. He wasn’t that oblivious. Especially when his eyes wandered to her direction every time they were spacing out, dazed, searching for a place to focus on. As if he wouldn’t notice him by her side. The way they acted.

 

And yet, he still retained a glimmer of hope; a futile hope fueled by envy, much to Luminous’ own disgust. He hoped it wasn’t true - that it wasn’t actually as obvious as he thought it was, that everyone else was wrong as well.

 

He was betting against probability here. Not to mention, his observations showed clear results.

 

In meetings, she always took the seat next to his; smiling as she did so, and he returning the gesture. Luminous did the opposite; if he could help it, he stayed as far away from the two as possible. He wasn’t sure if it was more of a conscious decision or a reflex. Either way, his view of her was clearer from afar.

 

They were always partnered in team missions. Or rather, they always gravitated towards each other. Luminous preferred to work alone, (much to Phantom’s delight, since he shared the sentiment) and more times than he’d like to admit, he considered following them in secret. He always discarded the thought. What use would that have? To confirm his suspicions? As if their time together when he was watching wasn’t proof enough. Luminous set out alone.

 

Before the final battle, the two were partnered together practically unanimously. They would break through the Black Mage’s first defenses, clearing a path for the others. Unable to change Freud’s mind, Phantom and Luminous had ended up on the same team. Though in hindsight, that didn’t really affect matters at all. When he entered the Black Mage’s throne room, his eyes first rested on her. Her limp, unconscious body leaning on Freud. Luminous couldn’t help but ask, almost blurting out the words without hesitation.

 

“What happened to Mercedes?”

 

“She’ll live, but I don’t know how long. The Black Mage is too strong. We’ve only got one option.”

 

 _You don’t know how long she’ll live?_ What kind of answer was that? Luminous grit his teeth, silently hoping Freud would think his anger was directed at the Black Mage, and not the comrade in front of him. But he steeled his heart; these were warring times. Closing his eyes for a few seconds, he listened in on Freud’s new plan.

 

-

 

Centuries. If centuries had passed normally, she would have lived on, while he could have lived several lives. Perhaps it all just felt like a long nap for her; for him, it was like a cold, endless death.

 

When he awoke, he was surrounded by trees and a small blonde girl whose eyes felt curiously familiar. But she was the first thing on his mind.

 

“Take me to Elluel.”

 

“Elluel? I think I heard that in a fairy tale one time…”

 

A fairy tale? How long had they been asleep? If even Elluel had fallen…

 

“I heard a story about five heroes defeating some evil old wizard called the Black Mage hundreds of years ago, but I think that was just a fairy tale too...”

 

At the sound of those words, Luminous felt relieved, yet his heart was not at ease. The Black Mage’s defeat being reduced to a common children’s tale meant he posed no real danger upon the world now - but he knew what this meant. The heroes no longer had a reason to gather anymore. Even if, in this unfamiliar new world, they were to meet again, for what purpose would they continue to act like comrades? The former heroes of Maple World: now nothing but a brief moment when their lives happened to intertwine.

 

In the midst of his wistful reminiscing, he only felt more conflicted the more his thoughts wandered. But his fatigue caught up with him; his vision was blurring fast, and he was tired. So, so tired. Perhaps it was time to rest. To forget about it all…

 

-

 

He would never forget the day he hurt Lania. Was no one safe around him? He did all he could to restore Lania’s home to its original state, but this was a clear sign. Luminous would have to return to being alone. But where to begin? Ever since he began living with Lania, he never ventured far from Ellinia and the forest clearing near her home. The town would be as good a place to start as any, he supposes. He approached a young fairy, looking graceful yet quietly unamused.

 

“Do you know the way to Elluel? I could have sworn Mercedes’ city was nearby...”

 

“What’re you talking about? I’ve never heard of an ‘Elluel’ before.”

 

He felt helpless again. He had hoped that the existence of the fairies in Ellinia meant the elves were still around, but that hope was extinguished as fast as it came. No matter how much time had passed, he always thought she would remain unchanged, her presence alone being a comfort to him. He had to start again, by searching for his roots in the Aurora association.

 

The trees in Ellinia comforted him. Though the times had changed and the forests he knew were changed beyond recognition, Ellin Forest had always been his home, from the Aurora Great Temple in the Forest of Peace to Lania’s home in the isolated forest clearing. The forest also hid Elluel, the last remaining elf civilization…

 

Suddenly a sound: arrow shots. Could it be?

 

Barely thinking straight, Luminous broke into a run, half desperate, half doubtful. But he couldn’t just stand around doing nothing.

 

He could feel his heart pounding against his chest - he wasn’t used to running, not this fast, not this restlessly. As his boots crunched the earth below and the occasional branch and leaves, he had completely forgotten that he could teleport instead.

 

And then she was there. It almost seemed too easy; was fate playing with him? Her fighting style was the same as always, elegantly gliding through the air while her bowguns released a flurry of arrows on her opponents. A sight for sore eyes - he immediately felt nostalgic.

 

She noticed him before he could call out to her. Even if she hadn’t, he wasn’t sure what he would have said.

 

“Luminous!”

 

Before he could make sense of the situation, she had her arms wrapped around him. He awkwardly returned the hug. He hadn’t expected to be greeted this warmly by her; after all, they were never that close before the battle.

 

“Oh Luminous, it’s such a relief to see you again! I don’t know where to start, it feels like so much has happened since the curse wore off…”

 

“Has it really been that eventful? It’s been several years since I broke free of the ice, and ended up here in Ellin… ia. I hadn’t realised anything was happening.”

 

“Several _years?_ Luminous, you don’t look like you’ve aged a day since the final battle! Well anyway, let’s see… you’re the last one of us that I know to be free of the ice. I heard about Aran from the Maple Alliance - that’s the alliance the new empress created - she’s lost her memories. Phantom recently made a show out of saving Ereve from a horrible scandal; I would have done something myself, but I didn’t have any proof to disprove that woman…”

 

Her expression darkened.

 

“And Freud…”

 

Luminous stiffened. He didn’t know what to expect next, but it felt as if an old wound was being tugged at the seams, preparing to be ripped open.

 

“...Freud’s dead.”

 

“What?”

 

She broke into a sob, her hands covering her face as she hunched over. He thought it would be too insensitive to ask her to clarify, but he had to know more… while the thought of Freud brought back dark thoughts from back then; he was still a bold leader and a valuable comrade. Freud, dead…

 

“He… Afrien took the blast of the curse in Freud’s stead. It’s been centuries, and there’s no record of him anywhere. It’s to be expected, he’s only human after all.”

 

Had she been searching for Freud the same way he had been for her? Yet here she was, and Freud was dead.

 

“I’m sorry. I would have aided you in your search, had I known.”

 

“No, it’s not your fault in the slightest. It’s just… surprising, you know? None of us expected the Black Mage to retaliate with a curse like that. I thought we would be meeting our ends in battle at least, not separated like this.”

 

He knew what she meant. So much had changed, and from what she had told him, it seemed like the petty thief and they were the only ones who remained unchanged.

 

“But what now? Isn’t the Black Mage forgotten by the current citizens of Maple World?”

 

“The Black Mage may still be missing, but his commanders remain strong. Phantom recently confronted Hilla in Ereve, but she was only scared off for now. I haven’t gotten in contact with him after that incident, but I swear I see that ship of his in the skies sometimes.”

 

Luminous furrowed his brows. While he clearly had no qualms about reuniting with the rest of the heroes, he had forgotten that Phantom was still around. Yet at the same time, he had doubts about his motives. Saving Ereve might have seemed heroic or the ‘right thing to do’, but he had never known Phantom to be such an honest man. Perhaps it was his overdue duties to Ereve that compelled him to act.

 

“...But it will be a while before I am able to rejoin the fight. Whether it was the curse that did it or the centuries that passed while I was dormant, it seems like my powers have almost left me completely.” Luminous gripped the handle of his Shining Rod tightly, its surface still feeling unfamiliar after so many years away from the battlefield.

 

Mercedes grimaced bitterly. “So you were affected by it as well. After seeing Phantom in Ereve, I feared that I was the only one who had lost my strength. Even Aran, without her memories, seemed stronger than before.”

 

He almost reached out to place his hand on her shoulder, but stopped himself with a jerk.

 

“It must be relieving, then, to know that you aren’t alone in the matter. I myself was heading out for some training when… when I thought I heard something.” _You,_ he wanted to say.

 

“Yes, and now that you’re here… Would you like to visit Elluel again?”

 

He blinked. “When offered, I have no reason to decline.”

 

She smiled in response, but there was a hint of sadness in her eyes.

 

As they walked through the forests no word passed between them; neither knew what to say. Beginning their descent into the entrance to Elluel, Luminous notices it is one of the few parts of the forest that remained the same. Following Mercedes through the tunnel leading into the town, his eyes glaze over the flowers encased in ice, thinking that it almost gave them a more beautiful quality.

 

But his thoughts changed immediately as he saw the town unfold in front of him. The town was completely silent, and pillars of ice, which he soon realized had people inside them, littered the streets covered in flower petals. A cruel sight; he could only wonder how Mercedes felt when she first laid eyes on them. One could even question whether they were still alive.

 

“When I awoke from the curse, I thought my people would soon follow.” She suddenly spoke, but her voice was only barely audible over the soft breeze in the air. “It’s been weeks now. I thought that as I grew stronger, the curse that held them would weaken. But I’ve felt so powerless lately; is the curse even weakening? I can’t tell anymore. Sometimes I’m glad they’re not here, so they don’t have to see their sovereign giving up on them like this.”

 

“You weren’t wrong.” This time he manages to place his hand on her shoulder, and she turned to face him, teary-eyed. “The curse _is_ weakening, I can feel it.”

 

“...Thank you, Luminous. Even if you might be saying that just to make me feel better. I would never give up on my people like that. Not after all they’ve done for me.”

 

She smiled as she wiped her tears, straightening her back. Placing her hand over Luminous’ that was on her shoulder, she glanced up at him.

 

“And I apologize. For showing you this part of me.”

 

The way she looked at him was almost unbearable; the subtle mix of grief and gratitude in her eyes, the feeling of her hand over his. He wished he could ask her to stay, but both of them had their own plans, and a responsibility to carry that was too large to abandon.

 

“You don’t need to apologize. Being a sovereign must be exhausting, with so many people’s lives in your hands.” He paused. “If you ever… need someone, you can call me.”

 

“Thank you. But I hope I won’t have to, if it means grieving over my past mistakes. Not to mention, I wouldn’t want to impose on you. You don’t owe me anything after the final battle.”

 

She was right; if he continued to offer his help, Luminous might as well admit his feelings for her right then and there. He retracted his hand, clenching it behind his back.

 

Mercedes watched him do so, then raised her head towards the large cherry blossom tree at the center of the town. “You know, Luminous, I truly loved Freud. Even if he was only human, he always seemed like he was something greater. It almost felt like… I could live out my entire life with him, but I knew that was impossible.”

 

Luminous’ breath felt trapped in his throat. Even if her feelings for Freud were always in plain sight, hearing Mercedes actually say those words...

 

Then she turned to him. “And I do need to apologize to you. Even when I was at Freud’s side, his eyes were never set on me. It wasn’t exactly ambition, but just the overwhelming idealist side of him. But you were always looking out for me, weren’t you?”

 

His eyes widened. Perhaps he had underestimated her too much, thinking that she was too busy with other things to notice him. He had almost forgotten how perceptive elves supposedly were.

 

“I’m sorry for pretending like I didn’t notice. Back then, and even now… you were always there for me.”

 

He felt his face grow hot, and he was almost on the verge of tears. Why; he wasn’t so sure. Embarrassment from having his feelings found out? Gratitude for recognizing what he had done for her?

 

“When I found out Freud was dead, it really came crashing down to me that in the end, he was just a normal human. I was... disappointed. Not at him, but at myself for thinking he would be any different.”

 

“…”

 

“However, I’m not one to dwell on the past. Even despite what happened to my people, to Freud… I don’t regret my decisions. I won’t allow myself to.” Her azure eyes flashed with determination.

 

Slowly, she reached out and held Luminous’ hand in her own. “I know it’s selfish to ask, after all these years… but maybe this time you could be the one by my side.”

 

For a moment, he was frozen in place. Of all the things Mercedes could have said next, that was the least expected. He could feel his heart pounding, and even his fingertips felt hot at her touch. Was he dreaming? Ever since he saw her in the forest, it seemed too good to be true.

 

But it wasn’t a dream - she was right here, in front of him. Looking up at him with her expectant blue eyes, no doubt confused by his silence. He took a deep breath and opened his mouth to speak.

 

“My centuries of waiting means nothing if it allows me to be by your side,” Luminous gently raised her hand to his lips, brushing against her knuckles. “Your majesty.”

 

“Call me by my name, Luminous.”

 

“...Mercedes.”

 

 

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> I just want to say I'm so excited to post this because it's probably my favourite thing I've written? Especially for lumimerc??
> 
> I wrote this fic because I found out that Luminous' light path dialogue has... one line where he talks about Mercedes as if she was so precious to him but the GMS translation completely friendzoned her?? There's also several other times he mentions her and Elluel and the fact that he doesn't mention anyone else from the heroes.. The first few lines of dialogue in this fic (his conversations with Freud, Lania and Arwen) are actually direct quotes from the game!! If you put the lines together he just seems so.. subtly in love with her and I Died so this fic was born.
> 
> There are also some headcanons included in this fic that I was going to expand on later but I decided to make it a one shot instead. Mercedes' comment about Luminous not looking older is because I headcanon that he, like other transcendents and partial-transcendents, won't die of old age and stopped growing physically once he reached adulthood. Another is that Luminous has been to Elluel before, which is pretty much implied in canon since he seems to know that it's near Ellin Forest/Ellinia.
> 
> Anyway hope you enjoyed!! Please consider this pairing!!!


End file.
